AllFreeNovel
Share Us
This was her last chance, Molly realized. If she didn’t want to die, she had to say something that would make Karen release her.
She just hoped she could persuade the other woman to let her go before it was too late.
46
TORUS
Councilor Paige’s shuttle wasn’t very far away and he got there in no time to find her husband, Lone, already waiting outside with the golden wire of a Think-me in his hand. He was a Twin Kindred, though it wasn’t immediately apparent if he was the Light Twin or the Dark Twin of his pair, Torus thought distractedly.
“Here you go, Brother,” Lone said, handing him the Think-me. “Hopefully you can reach your Mate on this. I have to warn you though—the range isn’t as great as it is aboard the Mother Ship. Hopefully she hasn’t gone too far to hear you.”
“She was supposed to stay in the general area of the courthouse,” Torus said, taking the Think-me. “She’s probably sitting in an eatery somewhere with her phone turned off.”
But he didn’t really believe that—something was wrong—he was sure of it.
He jammed the Think-me down over his temples and concentrated as hard as he could.
“Molly? Molly can you hear me? Please answer, sweetheart—I’m worried about you!”
But there was no answer. Not even an inkling of one—which meant that either she was ignoring him or she was out of range. Torus desperately hoped it was the former and not the latter. If she was too far away to get his thought message?—
“Warrior, your female is in danger!”
The strong, feminine voice startled Torus so much he nearly gasped. At once he knew who he was talking to—or rather, who was talking to him. The overwhelming presence that surrounded him was unmistakable.
“Goddess?” he asked, looking around. Lone, who was still standing beside him, was looking too. Clearly he had heard the Goddess as well.
“Yes, it is I—the Mother of All Life,” came the reply. “Warrior, you have no time to lose. Go at once to the coordinates I have placed in the nav-com of this vessel. You must hurry—your female’s life is in danger!”
Then, as suddenly as it had come, the voice and the presence were gone. Torus exchanged a wide-eyed look with Lone.
“Come on!” Lone beckoned him into the shuttle. “We have to go!”
Torus followed him but inside his guts were twisted into a knot. How far away was Molly? The Goddess hadn’t said—she’d only told him that her life was in danger.
He just prayed he could get to her in time.
47
MOLLY
“Karen, please—you don’t want to be part of this!” Molly pleaded. She shifted on the dirty mattress and the rickety bed frame it was on creaked. There was no other furniture in the dusty backroom but an old wooden table. “You don’t want to be an accessory to murder!” she said.
“I won’t be—because I’m going to be long gone before he kills you,” Karen said coolly. “You know, when I first came down here and contacted your ex, I just wanted to find some way to hurt you and get you away from Commander Torus—I never dreamed he’d come up with such a good plan!”
“So you contacted Zach?” Molly asked.
“Of course I did! I was looking to dig some dirt on you—I wanted to prove to Commander Torus what a little slut you are,” Karen said, smirking at her. “But when he told me he’d pay me to get you out of the way permanently—well, how could I refuse? I mean, it’s a win-win situation. For me, anyway—not so much for you.” She gave a nasty giggle.
“But…but…” Molly didn’t even know what to say.
“I was afraid I’d have a hard time getting you alone so I could bring you out here—you’re always glued to Commander Torus’s side like a fucking sand burr! But then I saw you just walking along, all by yourself. Why is that—is there trouble in paradise?”
“That’s none of your business!” Molly snapped.
“Ah-ha—I thought so!” Karen gave her a triumphant look. “Good! The poor guy will feel so conflicted when you disappear. And guess who’s going to be there to comfort him? Little old me.” She flashed Molly a wide, white grin and then made her voice into a soft coo. “Oh, poor Commander Torus! It’s just awful that your wife ran out on you! But you don’t have to think about her one minute more—just rely on me—I’ll take care of you. I’ll give you everything you need…and everything you want.”
“Torus isn’t interested in you!” Molly exclaimed, stung at the idea of the other woman stealing her husband. “He told me he thinks you’re too skinny—and too pushy too!”
